Panty girdle and method of making

ABSTRACT

A GIRDLE OR A PANTY GIRDLE COMPRISES A GIRDLE BODY MADE OF A MATERIAL STRETCHABLE IN TWO DIRECTIONS AND FORMED ON ITS FRONT SIDE CORRESPONDING TO THE ABDOMINAL REGION OF A WEARER WITH A WINDOW OF A DIAMOND, HONEYCOMB CELL, ELLIPTICAL OR SIMILARLY CURVED SHAPE, AND A FRONT PIECE MADE OF THE SAME MATERIAL AS THE GIRDLE BODY AND SIMILAR IN SHAPE TO THE WINDOW, IS CONNECTED BY SEWING   TO THE GIRDLE BODY TO CLOSE THE WINDOW, EACH SIDE OF THE FRONT PIECE IS OF THE SAME LENGTH AS THE CORRESPONDING SIDE OF THE WINDOW AND THE AREA OF THE FRONT PIECE IS SMALLER THAN THE AREA OF THE WINDOW BEFORE THE FRONT PIECE IS CONNECTED BY THE SEWING TO THE GIRDLE BODY.

p 20, 197l ECHIKO KUGITANI 3,605,755

mm (11mm: AND METHOD OF MAKING Filed March 5, 1969 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 H620 FIG. 20 F/& 3

A B A I B FIG. 4 FIG. 5b F/G 5 Ki k 4% Sept- 20, 1971 ECHIKO KUGITANI I3,605,755

PANTY GIRDLE AND METHOD OF MAKING Filed March 5, 1969 2 Sheets-Sheet 2United states Patent O 3,605,755 PANTY GIRDLE AND METHOD OF MAKINGEchiko Kugitani, Kyoto, Japan, assignor to Wacoal, Inc., Kyoto, JapanFiled Mar. 5, 1969, Ser. No. 804,462 Int. Cl. A41c 1/04 US. Cl. 128-5289 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A girdle or a panty girdle comprisesa girdle body made of a material stretchable in two directions andformed on its front side corresponding to the abdominal region of awearer with a window of a diamond, honeycomb cell, elliptical orsimilarly curved shape, and a front piece made of the same material asthe girdle body and similar in shape to the window, is connected bysewing to the girdle body to close the Window. Each side of the frontpiece is of the same length as the corresponding side of the window andthe area of the front piece is smaller than the area of the windowbefore the front piece is connected by sewing to the girdle body.

The present invention relates to a girdle, and more particularly to apanty girdle.

The invention has as its object the provision of an improved girdle orpanty girdle which represents an improvement to conventional articles ofapparel of the same kind and which is provided with means to exert anappropriate compressive force on the abdominal region of a wearer so asto give the wearer a slim waist line and permit her to maintain thecurves of the trunk of the body, particularly the abdomen, slim andbeautiful.

According to the invention, there is provided a girdle or a panty girdlecomprising a girdle body made of a net or cloth of a stretchablematerial, such as Spandex power net or two-way stretchable tricot, forexample, and formed on its front side corresponding to the abdominalregion of a wearer with a window symmetrical with respect to thevertical center line thereof, and a front piece made of the samematerial as said girdle body which has sides of the same length as thecorresponding sides of said window and which has an area smaller thanthe area of said window before the front piece is connected to thegirdle body, said front piece being connected by sewing to said girdlebody to close the window and provide a finished article of apparel.

Additional objects and advantages of the invention will become apparentfrom the description set forth hereunder when considered in conjunctionwith the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a front view of one embodiment of the panty girdle accordingto this invention as it is in a developed condition, schematicallyshowing a girdle body and a front piece before the latter is connectedby sewing to the former to close a window formed in the former;

FIG. 2a is a front view of the panty girdle of FIG. 1 after the frontpiece is connected by sewing to the girdle body to close the window;

FIG. 2b is a side view of the panty girdle of FIG. 2a;

FIG. 3 is a front view of the panty girdle of FIGS. 2a and 2b as it isworn by a wearer;

FIG. 4 is a front view of another embodiment of the front piece of thepanty girdle according to this invention;

FIG. 5a is a front view of still another embodiment of the front pieceof the panty girdle according to this invention which front piece isoriginally made in two substantially triangular pieces which areconnected together by 3,605,755 Patented Sept. 20, 1971 sewing along theopposed bottom sides to provide a dart or stitched seam along thevertical center line of the completed front piece;

FIG. 5b is a front view of the front piece of FIG. So before the twosubstantially triangular pieces are connected together by sewing,showing that the bottom sides of said two substantially triangularpieces are to be sewed to each other are inwardly curved;

FIG. 6a is a front view of a further embodiment of the panty girdleaccording to this invention using a front piece formed with a dart or astitched seam along the vertical center line thereof and shown in adeveloped state, with the front piece not yet connected to the girdlebody by sewing to close the Window formed in the latter, said embodimentbeing similar to the embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 1 to 3 but distincttherefrom in the relative ratiot of the lateral dimension and that ofthe vertical dimension of the front piece and the window before theformer is fitted in the latter; and

FIG. 6b shows the front piece of the embodiment of FIG. 6a in relationto the window formed in the girdle body before said dart or stitchedseam is formed in the front piece.

The invention will now be explained with reference to the drawings. InFIGS. 1 to 3, a girdle body B made of a net, such as Spandex power net,for example, or a stretchable cloth, such as two-way tricot, forexample, is formed on the front side corresponding to the abdominalregion of a wearer with a window C of a diamond shape which issymmetrical with respect to the vertical center line thereof. There isalso shown a front piece A made of the same material as said girdle bodyB and similar in shape to said Window C. Said front piece A has sides 1,2, 3 and 4 which are of the same length as the sides 1', 2, 3' and 4' ofthe Window C, but the front piece A is more slender and has a greatervertical dimension than the Window C, so that the former has an areasmaller than the area of the latter before the former is connected bysewing to the girdle body B to close the latter. Since the adjacent twoupper sides of the front piece A and the window C forming the respectivetop apex are of the same length and the adjacent two lower sides of thefront piece and the window forming the respective bottom apex are of thesame length, the sides 1 and 2 are of the same length as the sides 1'and 2' and the sides 3 and 4 are of the same length as the sides 3 and4'. Since the corresponding sides of the front piece A and the window Care of the same length, it is possible to sew the edges of the frontpiece A to the girdle B along the edges of the window C withoutstretching the front piece in any Way. The front piece A has a smallerlateral dimension than the window C before the former is connected bysewing to the girdle body B to close the window C, and accordingly thetop and bottom opposite angles of the front piece are smaller than thecorresponding angles of the window and the left and right oppositeangles of the former are larger than the corresponding angles of thelatter. Thus, the front piece and the window are different from eachother in the size of top and bottom opposite angles and left and rightangles or the shape of bending of the adjacent sides extending betweenthe opposite apexes and in the area before the former is connected bysewing to the girdle body to close the latter, so that after the frontpiece is connected by sewing to the girdle body to close the window, theconfiguration of the front portion of the completed girdle is affectedby the aforesaid differences between the front piece and the window,with the result that the size of the left and right opposite angles ofthe window is increased or the shape of its vertically disposed adjacentsides is altered. Accordingly, the front portion of the completed girdlebecomes concaved inwardly toward the center portion of the girdle andshaped like a pan with the top apex of the front piece sewed to thegirdle body slightly projected outwardly, because the closed windowtends to return to its original shape.

Thus, tension acts on the seams connecting the front piece to the girdlebody, but the finished article of apparel is beautiful in appearance andthe seams are free from wrinkles because of the fact that each of thesides of the front piece is of the same length as the corresponding sideof the window. When the finished article of apparel is worn, theaforementioned inwardly curved front portion of the girdle is expandedinto a stretched state as shown in FIG. '3.

Combined with the contractile force exerted by resilient fibers formingthe front piece, the tension acting on the front piece as aforementionedexerts an inwardly directed force on the abdominal region of a wearersuch that the front piece A compresses the abdominal region with agreater force than the girdle body B. Since the front piece A has alarger vertical dimension than the window C before the former isconnected to the girdle body B to close the latter, when the pantygirdle is worn, the front portion thereof is stretched breadthwise moregreatly than lengthwise. This makes it possible to correct the shape ofthe abdominal region and improve the overall shape of the abdomen of thebody of the wearer, because a larger compressive force is exerted in thebreadthwise direction than in the lengthwise direction, While removingthe aforementioned slight outward projection of the top apex of thefront piece of the parity girdle which was present before the pantygirdle is worn.

It will be readily understood that the shape of the window and the frontpiece is not limited to the specific details of the embodiments shownand described, and that many changes and modifications may be madetherein without departing from the spirit of the invention. For example,the windows may be of a shape closely resembling the so-calledsubstantially honeycomb cell shape which is formed by curring out smallportions near the left and right apexes of a diamond shaped front piecevertically. Also, they may be of elliptical shape having the verticalaxis longer than the horizontal axis.

As shown in FIG. 4, the diamond-shaped front piece may also be formedsuch that each side thereof is slightly curved inwardly, each saidinwardly curved side being of the same length as the correspondingstraightlined side of the window and the front piece having an areasmaller than the area of the window.

In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, the front piece is made to havea smaller area than the window by forming the front piece in a shapemore slender in the vertical direction than the window or by forming thefront piece to have a greater vertical dimension than the window. If thefront piece is formed to have a shape as shown in the embodiment of FIG.4, then it is possible to reduce the vertical dimension of the frontpiece below that of the front piece of the diamond shape withstraightlined sides as shown in FIG. 1 without increasing the lateraldimension of the front piece in spite of the fact that these two frontpieces are identical in area. With the front piece shown in FIG. 4, itis also possible not only to make the lateral dimension but also thevertical dimension of the front piece equal to or smaller than those ofthe window before the former is connected by sewing to the girdle bodyto close the latter.

The front piece shown in FIG. 5a is originally made in two generallytriangular pieces which are connected together by sewing along thebottom sides thereof opposing each other so as to provide a dart orstitched seam along the vertical center line of the completed frontpiece. In the present invention, the term dart means a stitched seamformed by cutting out a portion of a planar cloth from any part thereofas desired and sewing the remaining portions together along the opposingedges thereof to eliminate the gap left by the cut-out portion, so thatthe stitched seam and the region surrounding the stitched seam may beelevated to impart to the planar cloth a three-dimensional appearance,or a stitched seam formed by cutting into a planar cloth and connectingthe edges of the cut cloth to overlap one another by sewing to impart tothe planar cloth a three-dimensional appearance.

FIG. 5b shows the front piece of FIG. 5a before the two substantiallytriangular pieces are sewed together, with the bottom sides of the twosubstantially triangular pieces curving inwardly to indicate that aportion of the material has been cut out from the two pieces.

It should be noted that by forming a dart along the vertical center lineof the completed fron-t piece, the inwardly directed concavity of thefront portion of the girdle can be made more pronounced than is the casewith the girdle of FIG. 1. Greater tension acts in the dart than inother portions of the front piece, permitting the girdle to exert astill greater compressive force on the abdominal region of a wearer.

In the embodiment of this invention having a front piece of the typeshown in FIG. 5b, the opposing bottom sides of the two substantiallytriangular pieces are curved inwardly along the entire length of thevertical center line of the completed center piece, but only the centerportion of each of the opposing bottom sides 5 may be cut out in agenerally inwardly directed curve and the opposing bottom sides of thetwo substantially triangular pieces may be sewed together so as toprovide a dart only in the center portion of the vertical center line ofthe completed front piece. It is to be understood that such dart mayalso be provided in the front piece of the substantially honeycomb cellor elliptical shape along the vertical center line thereof.

In the embodiment described hereinabove with reference to FIGS. 1 to 3,the front piece has a larger vertical dimension and a smaller lateraldimension than the window formed in the girdle body before the former isconnected by sewing to the girdle body to close the window. :In theembodiment shown in FIGS. 6a and 6b, however, the front piece has asmaller vertical dimension than the window and is formed by connectingtwo substantially triangular pieces together by sewing along theopposing concave bottom sides 6 and 6' thereof so as to provide a dartor stitched seam along the vertical center line of the completed frontpiece. The sides 1, 2, 3 and 4 of the front piece are equal in lengthrespectively to the corresponding sides 1', 2, 3 and 4' of the window inthis embodiment, too, so that when the vertical dimension of the frontpiece is made smaller than the vertical dimension of the window beforethe former is connected by sewing to the girdle body to close thewindow, the lateral dimension of the front piece not yet completed byconnecting the two substantially triangular pieces together by sewing islarger than the lateral dimension of the window as shown in FIG. 611.However, the lateral dimension of the front piece is reduced when it iscompleted by connecting the two substantially triangular pieces A and Atogether by sewing along the concave bottom sides 6 thereof. Preferably,the ratio of the vertical dimension of the front piece to the verticaldimension of the window and the curvature of the opposing concave bottomsides 6 of the two substantially triangular pieces A and A in thisembodiment are determined such that the lateral dimension of the frontpiece completed with a dart or stitched seam along the vertical centerline thereof is equal to or smaller than the lateral dimension of thewindow. If this requirement is met, the panty girdle illustrated inFIGS. 6a and 6b can achieve the same results as the panty girdle shownin FIGS. 1 to 3 in exerting on the abdominal region of a wearer acompressive force acting breadthwise of the abdominal region. Inaddition, a compressive force acting lengthwise of the abdominal regionis also exerted on the abdominal region, through it is relatively smallin amount.

It is to be understood that although the front piece formed with a dartor stitched seam along the vertical center line thereof as shown inFIGS. 6a and 6b as well as in FIGS. a and 517 has been described asbeing formed by connecting two substantially triangular pieces togetherby sewing along the opposed bottom sides thereof, the front piece neednot necessarily be made from two pieces, and the front piece formed witha dart or stitched seam along the vertical center line thereof can alsobe made by removing the center portion of the front piece made inone-piece so as to leave in the front piece made in onepiece havingopposing, vertically-oriented, concave sides while leaving the upper andlower ends connected and then connecting the concave sides together bysewing.

The girdle or panty girdle embodying the present invention offers manyadvantages. It gives to the abdomen of the body of a wearer morebeautiful curves than do conventional girdles or panty girdles of thesame type which have no specially fabricated front piece distinct fromthe girdle body or which have a non-stretchable front piece. Moreover,it gives to the wearer a superb wearing comfort because it snugly fitsthe body and expands and contracts in conformity with body motionswithout offering any resistance.

An added advantage is that the girdle or panty girdle embodying thisinvention can be manufactured relatively easily because, although thefront piece has a smaller area than the window formed in the girdlebody, it is not necessary to stretch the front piece in connecting thesame by sewing to the girdle body to close the window, since each sideof the front piece is of the same length as the corresponding side ofthe window.

What we claim is:

1. An article of apparel comprising a girdle body having a front sidewith a window symmetrical with respect to the vertical center linethereof, and a front piece similar in shape to said window and connectedat its edges to said girdle body along the edges of said window so as toclose the window, said girdle body and said front piece being made of amaterial stretchable in both lengthwise and breadthwise directions, saidfront piece having sides which are of the same length as thecorresponding sides of said window and said front piece having an areasmaller than the area of said window before the front piece is connectedby sewing to the girdle body to close the window.

2. An article of apparel as defined in claim 1 in which the lateraldimension of said front piece is smaller than the lateral dimension ofsaid window before said front piece is connected by sewing to the girdlebody to close said window.

3. An article of apparel as defined in claim 1 in which said front pieceis formed with a stitched seam disposed along the vertical center linethereof, each of two opposing edges forming said stitched seam beingcurved inwardly concave before they are connected together by sewingsuch that the distance between the opposing edges generally increase ingoing from the upper and bottom ends thereof toward the center thereof.

4. An article of apparel as defined in claim 1 in which the verticaldimension of said front piece is smaller than the vertical dimension ofsaid window before said front piece is connected by sewing to the girdlebody to close said window, said front piece being formed with a stitchedseam disposed along the vertical center line thereof, each of twoopposing edges forming said stitched seam being curved inwardly concavebefore they are connected together by sewing such that the distancebetween the opposing edges generally increases in going from the upperand bottom ends thereof toward the center thereof,

5. An article of apparel as defined in claim 1 in which said window isof polygonal shape and has at least four sides with the top and bottomapexes thereof disposed on the vertical center line of the front portionof said girdle body corresponding to the abdominal region of a wearer,each side of said front piece being curved inwardly and of the samelength as the corresponding side of said window before the front pieceis connected by sewing to the girdle body to close the window.

6. An article of apparel as defined in claim 1 in which said window andsaid front piece are substantially of diamond shape with the top andbottom apexes thereof opposing each other being disposed on the verticalcenter line of the front portion of said girdle body corresponding tothe abdominal region of a wearer, each side of said front piece being ofthe same length as the corresponding side of said window and the anglesformed by upper and lower adjacent sides of the front piece forming thetop and bottom apexes respectively being smaller than the correspondingangles of the window before the front piece is connected by sewing tothe girdle body to close the window.

7. An article of apparel as defined in claim 1 in which said window andsaid front piece are substantially of honeycomb cell shape with the topand bottom apexes thereof opposing each other being disposed on thevertical center line of the front portion of said girdle bodycorresponding to the abdominal region of a wearer, each side of saidfront piece being of the same length as the corresponding side of saidwindow and the angles formed by upper and lower adjacent sides of thefront piece forming the top and bottom apexes respectively being smallerthan the corresponding angles of the window before the front piece isconnected by sewing to the girdle body to close the window.

'8. An article of apparel as defined in claim 1 in which said window andsaid front piece are substantially of elliptical shape, with the majoraxes of said elliptical window and said front piece coinciding with thevertical center line of the front portion of said girdle bodycorresponding to the abdominal region of a wearer, the major axis ofsaid elliptical front piece being of greater length than the major axisof said elliptical window before the front piece is connected to thegirdle body to close the window.

9'. A method of making an article of apparel comprising the steps ofcutting a two-way stretchable material in conformity with apredetermined pattern to provide a girdle body, forming a window in saidgirdle body on the front side thereof, said window being symmetricalwith respect to its vertical center line, cutting a two-way stretchablematerial in conformity with a predetermined pattern to provide a frontpiece, forming said front piece to be similar in shape to said windowand of the same length as said window at the peripheral edges thereofbut having an area smaller than the area of said window, and connectingby sewing said front piece to said gird-1e body along the peripheraledges of said window so as to close the window.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 9/1966 Cuozzi 8/1967 Horie U.S.c1. X.R 128-556, 580

